By Robert Andrew Powell August 05, 1999

The internal affairs bureau of the Miami Police Department is no comedy club. It is a cramped office decorated with faded travel posters, harsh fluorescent lights, and ancient metal desks. Amid piles of paperwork somber detectives slog their way through the hundreds of citizen complaints filed every year. These are deadly serious investigations of possible police brutality, theft, corruption, and other crimes. Most allegations are hard to prove. Some complaints are groundless misunderstandings while others are crude attempts to smear an honest officer. The workload is punishing, yet the detectives are not without a sense of humor. If you want to make them laugh, you can: Just mention the name... More >>>